When your organization decides to rebrand, your company’s leadership team has probably spent
hours discussing, planning and strategizing the why and what of the new brand. Once it’s time to take your new brand to customers, it’s important to invest just as much time and detail in the how - the execution of getting your new brand and messages out in local markets.

Here are four quick tips to keep in mind for a smooth, and effective, transition to your new brand.

1. Take an inventory of current marketing materials.

Spend time reviewing the brochures, email templates, white papers, blogs and other marketing materials you use to communicate with current and potential clients. Identify opportunities to retool pieces and address gaps to develop a strong content strategy to implement against. Categorize pieces as:

• Rebrand: Update design only to reflect new brand, keep format and content the same for pieces that are engaging customers.
• Repurpose: Use current content to inspire new marketing materials that serve a different goal through format, design and copy. Take a white paper and turn it into an infographic, or vice versa.
• New: Identify gaps in current content inventory and create new pieces to fill holes.
• Archive: Edit the materials you are using, and place pieces that aren’t working in an internal archive folder for easy access if needed for reference in the future.

Be sure to take advantage of your marketing resource management platforms or creative production management software to help manage and streamline this process.

2. Safeguard details until launch.

Keep your new brand under wraps until your internal and external launch dates. Share information as needed and only with people who need to know. A marketing resource management system can maintain the rollout with a clear schedule – making electronic files accessible to local sales channels after a specific date and scheduling materials to be printed, shipped and arrived on the exact day partners will need them. If you don’t have an MRM system, communicate often with sales agents, branches, dealers and clearly place embargo dates on new materials.

3. Train sales channels on the new brand.

Be sure to develop effective and engaging training materials on the what, why and how of your company’s new brand with your partners. They represent your brand to local markets, and it’s essential third-party sellers, distributors and dealers understand what the new brand means to them and their customers.

4. Motivate and incentivize local markets to use newly branded materials.

Develop incentive programs to help rollout the new brand in local markets. Encourage participation with an effective incentive program that partners get excited about – whether its discounts, rebates, cash incentives or prizes. Once the brand is in the marketplace, monitor the campaigns and ask partners for feedback as appropriate.

Managing a new brand rollout is no easy task. But with planning, preparation and a little attention to detail, it can be an exciting and energizing process for you, your company, your sales channels, and most importantly – your customers.